A better late than never review of Laetus

I have been sadly negligent in writing about my first visit to the newly opened Laetus restaurant/bar on Asylum Street, and in keeping up with the blog in general lately. The proof of this fact is in the fact that I visited in early spring, and obviously got distracted by summer weather, jazz festivals, vacation time and lots of good meals which I have been diligently photographing and the requisite blog posts which have been piling up in my head.

(note the scarf and jacket!)

If my memory serves me right, my friends and I had found ourselves meandering down Asylum Street one Monday afternoon, on our way to check out the also newly opened Electric Co. when we spied movement inside of the space that most recently held The Asylum Cafe and before that, The Red Plate. All agreed that we should immediately listen to our stomachs and postpone our plans and grab some nourishment.

Quan, the owner of both Laetus and the previous Asylum Cafe has done a stellar job at re-envisioning the space as a Vietnamese Fusion restaurant/ lounge. No longer will we have to stick to visiting Park Street, New Britain Ave, or East Hartford when the craving for pho hits us. Since Laetus is open late, it will also be added to our list of possible late night spots to hit after a night downtown. Who wouldn't rather have Vietnamese food instead of the regular offerings of greasy wings, fast food or pizza?

Some of the things that we tried at the "soft opening" were the shrimp summer rolls. A typical offering at Vietnamese and Thai restaurants, it is usually noodles, sprouts, lettuce or cabbage, maybe mint or basil, and shrimp wrapped in a sticky rice paper shell and served at room temperature. Perfect for summer, maybe hence the name.

Then there was the star of our evening, the pho. The soup is typically a pork or beef broth, so if you do not consume pork products, be sure to inquire! Infact, having worked as a chef, I recommend you always ask in any restaurant and never make assumptions. A large proportion of seafood and even "vegetarian" labeled soups sometimes are made using a pork based stock. The soup was flavorful, served with a side of fresh basil leaves and hot peppers to add to the broth and was highly enjoyed by our group.

We did order another dish as well, which I will put the picture up for you.... but sadly, I cannot recall the name, it good reviews it got from my friend and was a beef and rice noodle dish topped with crushed peanuts. So despite my bad memory, if this is not been reason enough to go and check them out, I will give you two more.

1) It's Hartford Restaurant Week and Laetus is participating!!! Check out their menu for this dining event here and enjoy 3 courses for $20.13: http://media.trb.com/media/acrobat/2013-07/76720877-19052445.pdf.

2) I am sure you have been curious about the definition of Laetus as was I. Google provided me with the Latin definition which means "Happy or Joyful" of which I certainly am at this new addition of awesome and affordable food in downtown Hartford.

Location: 253 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT / Ph. (860) 216-1964

Website: www.laetuslounge.com 

Event: Fungus & Forage Festival- A Walk on the Wild Side

It’s a day to take a walk on the wild side!

The Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market Fungus & Forage Festival   This Sunday, we honor those gifts generously offered by Mother Nature; specifically mushrooms, and the herbs growing wild beneath our feet generally referred to as weeds. Both enjoy a timeless history which goes far beyond mere culinary delight. In the barn, the Connecticut Mycological Society returns to provide a stunning display of our state’s wide variety of mushrooms. Their members will be available for discussion and the 3 Foragers will lead free identification walks at 12:00 and 1:00, focusing on edible wild foods. While at the barn, stop to chat with the folks at Connecticut Herb Association and learn about their mission to share herbal information. Their members will lead weed walks at 11:30, 12:00 and 1:00 to discover and identify local herbs that traditionally have been used as medicine and food. Maggie's Farm will be talking about and demonstrating mushroom growing at their tent from 12:30 to 2:00. They’ll bring shiitake and oyster mushrooms for sale. In the market field, you’ll find CT NOFA (Connecticut’s branch of Northeast Organic Farming Association) whose members are supportive of practices that encourage a healthy relationship with the natural world and ecologically sound farming. They can also show you how mushrooms can be grown in compost material! At Joan Blade Johnson and Melanie Johnston’s booth, you can see how natural dyes from foraged local flora can be used to make art. Our own yards are a great source of plant materials that can be easily gathered and used for fabric dyeing.  Roots, nuts, flowers, bark, and lichens are just a few of the natural materials that can be used for dyeing. Creating rusted artwork from foraged (recycled) materials is satisfying and organic… stop by to learn more! Note: Image borrowed from: https://sites.google.com/site/smutheoryoft/